IC-NRLF. 


72    512 


GIFT  OF 


THE  GENERAL  STAFFS  OF  CERTAIN  BELLIGERENT 

POWERS 


PREPARED  BY  THE  WAR  COLLEGE  DIVISION,  GENERAL  STAFF  CORPS 

AS    A    SUPPLEMENT    TO    THE    STATEMENT    OF   A    PROPER   MILITARY 

POLICY  FOR  THE  UNITED  STATES 


WCD  9286-2 


ARMY  WAR  COLLEGE  :  WASHINGTON 

NOVEMBER,  1915 


WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OFFICE 
1816 


514 


WAR  DEPARTMENT, 
Document  No.  514. 
of  the  Chief  of  Staff. 


; 


V 


SYNOPSIS 


I.  INTRODUCTION. 

Page. 

1.  The  general  staff  of  the  Austro-Hungarian  Army 5 

2.  The  general  staff  of  France 6 

3.  The  general  staff  of  Germany 8 

4.  The  general  staff  of  Great  Britain 8 

5.  The  general  staff  of  Italy 9 

6.  The  general  staff  of  Japan 9 

7.  The  general  staff  of  Russia 10 

8.  The  general  staff  of  Servia 11 

II.  CONCLUSION. 

"-No.  514 16  (3) 


667371 


THE  GENERAL  STAFFS  OF  CERTAIN  BELLIGERENT 

POWERS. 


I.   INTRODUCTION. 

The  object  of  this  study  is  to  give  a  concise  account  of  the  general 
staffs  of  certain  belligerent  powers  taking  part  in  the  present 
European  war,  showing  their  personnel  and  duties  under  peace  con- 
ditions, and  also  any  increases  or  changes  that  have  been  made  neces- 
sary during  the  progress  of  the  present  war,  so  far  as  data  are  at 
present  available. 

It  is  .proposed  to  supplement  this  paper  with  full  information  as 
to  any  further  changes  in  general  staff  organizations  resulting  from 
the  experiences  of  the  present  war,  when  the  necessary  data,  have 
been  supplied. 

1.  THE  GENERAL  STAFF  OF  THE  AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN  ARMY. 

The  work  of  the  general  staff  of  this  army,  1911,  included:  (1) 
Service  in  the  offices  of  the  general  staff;  (2)  with  troops;  (3)  in 
special  scientific  military  employment;  and  (4)  for  missions  abroad. 

"  The  chief  of  the  general  staff  for  all  the  armed  forces  "  was  the 
head  of  the  general  staff,  and  was  under  the  immediate  orders  of 
the  Emperor,  and  was  also  an  auxiliary  organ  of  the  war  minister. 
All  work  relating  to  operations  and  to  preparation  for  the  employ- 
ment of  the  entire  armed  force  in  war  was  incumbent  upon  him.  He 
kept  in  touch  with  the  commander  of  the  navy  regarding  operations 
of  the  fleet.  He  was  assisted  in  his  work  by  the  "  deputy  chief  of  the 
general  staff." 

The  general  staff  worked  in  seven  sections. 

The  first  section  transacted  personal  and  economic  affairs  and  did 
the  correspondence  between  the  sections  of  the  general  staff  and  with 
outside  quarters. 

The  .section  for  operations  worked  at  all  operative  affairs,  the 
measures  in  connection  with  mobilization,  plans  for  strategic  move- 
ments, opinions  and  proposals  regarding  fortifications,  organization 
and  training  of  the  army,  regulations  and  instructions  of  a  tactical 
and  operative  nature,  programs  for  maneuvers  and  matters  con- 
nected therewith. 

The  section  of  instruction  attended  to  the  instruction  and  training 
of  general  staff  officers. 

514  (5) 


The  topographical  section  was  employed  in  the  military  geographi- 
cal description  of  the  monarchy  and  other  countries. 

The  intelligence  section  collected  and  recorded  data  concerning  for- 
eign armies  and  fortifications. 

The  railway  section  attended  to  all  railway  and  steamship  matters. 

The  telegraph  section  attended  to  the  telegraph  and  signal  service. 

The  general  staff  attended  to  the  war  school,  the  Military  Geo- 
graphical Institute,  and  the  war  archives. 

The  general. staff  officers  serving  with  troops  performed  duties 
corresponding  to  the  combined  duties  of  chiefs  of  staff  and  adju- 
tants general  in  the  United  States  Army. 

The  normal  strength  of  the  general  staff  in  time  of  peace,  1911, 
was: 

One  general,  chief  of  staff;  2  lieutenant  field  marshals" — one  the 
deputy  chief  of  staff,  the  other  the  chief  of  the  military  geographical 
institute;  2  major  generals — one  chief  of  the  war  archives  and  the 
other  the  chief  of  the  war  school ;  41  colonels,  77  lieutenant  colonels, 
85  majors,  and  209  captains;  total,  417.  After  completing  studies 
at  the  war  school  209  additional  officers  were  attached  to  the  general 
staff  for  duty  and  try  out,  with  a  view  to  their  possible  appointment 
on  the  general  staff.  In  addition  there  were  46  other  officers  for 
clerical  work  on  the  general  staff,  but  not  with  a  view  to  being  ap- 
pointed members  of  the  general  staff.  Total  performing  general- 
staff  work,  672. 

In  time  of  war  the  chief  of  staff  takes  full  .control  of  military  mat- 
ters. According  to  information  on  file  in  the  War  College,  1914,  the 
Austrian  general  staff  was  as  follows: 

One  chief  of  staff,  1  adjutant  to  the  chief  of  staff,  2  assistant 
chiefs  of  staff — one  in  charge  of  lines  of  communication.  The  part 
of  the  general  staff  corresponding  to  our  War  Department  General 
Staff  was  divided  into  eight  bureaus:  Bureau  of  direction,  bureau 
of  operations,  bureau  of  communication  and  supplies,  bureau  of  in- 
structions, bureau  of  monographs,  bureau  of  evidence,  bureau  of 
transportation,  bureau  of  telegraphy,  and  was  charged  also  with 
the  war  college,  war  archives,  and  military  geographical  institute. 
The  number  of  general-staff  officers  allowed  by  law  was  508;  249 
officers  were  assigned  and  71  attached  to  the  general  staff;  and  101 
line  officers  were  detailed  on  general-staff  work,  making  a  total  of 
929  officers  performing  general-staff  work. 

2.  THE  GENERAL  STAFF  OF  FRANCE. 

The  general  staff  of  the  French  Army  is  one  of  the  seven  main 
divisions  of  the  war  department.  Military  matters,  unless  they  con- 
cern more  than  one  department  of  the  National  Government,  are 

514 


directed  by  the  superior  military  council,  which  consists  of  the 
minister  of  war,  the  chief  of  staff,  and  10  major  generals.  The 
superior  military  council  exercises  control  over  the  general  staff.  One 
of  the  major  generals  of  the  superior  military  council  is  assistant 
chief  of  staff;  others  are  assigned  in  time  of  peace  to  command 
armies  in  time  of  war,  and  have  with  them  the  three  general-staff 
officers  to  be  on  their  staffs  in  the  field.  These  prospective  army 
commanders  have,  in  time  of  peace,  supervision  of  the  troops  that 
would  be  under  their  command  in  war.  They  prepare  and  direct 
the  maneuvers  and  staff  rides  for  the  training  of  these  troops  and 
generally  see  to  their  preparation  for  war.  They  are  army  in- 
spectors. 

The  chief  of  staff  is  the  head  of  the  war  department  general  staff, 
and  deals  with  the  larger  questions.  Other  general-staff  matters  are 
under  the  assistant  chief  of  staff.  The  work  of  the  war  department 
general  staff  is  performed  by  three  groups,  each  under  a  general 
officer. 

FIRST   GROUP. 

1.  The  bureau  of  military  operations  and  general  training  of  the 
army. 

2.  The  bureau  charged  with  the  study  of  the  organization  and 
tactics  of  foreign  armies. 

3.  The  bureau  of  railways  and  lines  of  communication. 

SECOND   GROUP. 

1.  Bureau  of  organization  and  mobilization  of  the  army. 

2.  The  African  section. 

3.  The  historical  section. 

THIRD   GROUP. 

1.  The  section  of  the  personnel  of  the  general  staff. 

2.  Koutine  service  section  of  the  general  staff. 

3.  The  administrative  section. 

The  chief  of  staff,  assistant  chief  of  staff,  and  the  chief  of  the  first 
group  are  major  generals.  The  chiefs  of  the  second  and  third  groups 
are  brigadier  generals.  In  addition  the  following  general  staff  offi- 
cers were  authorized  by  law  before  the  present  war :  Thirty  colonels, 
40  lieutenant  colonels,  170  majors,  and  400  captains ;  total  640. 

General  staff  officers  were  assigned  as  follows:  War  Department 
general  staff,  132 ;  staff  with  troops,  480 ;  additional  staff  officers  with 
the  war  department  general  staff,  47 ;  with  troops,  216.  The  general 
staff  is  larger  now. 

514 


8 

3.  THE  GENERAL  STAFF  OF  GERMANY. 

The  general  staff  of  Germany  consists  of  the  war  department  gen- 
eral staff  (called  the  great  general  staff)  and  the  general  staff 
officers  on  duty  with  the  troops. 

The  officers  of  the  war  department  general  staff  performed,  in 
peace,  the  following  duties: 

One  general,  chief  of  staff,  directly  under  the  Emperor,  and  has 
charge  of  the  war  academy  and  the  land  survey ;  1  lieutenant  general, 
assistant  chief  of  staff,  chief  of  division ;  4  major  generals,  heads  of 
four  divisions;  11  colonels,  chiefs  of  sections;  6  lieutenant  colonels, 
four  of  them  are  chiefs  of  sections;  37  majors,  duty  with  sections  and 
committees ;  52  Captains  and  1  lieutenant  performing  various  general 
staff  duties;  total  113. 

This  part  of  the  general  staff  is  organized  into  9  sections  and  the 
historical  and  geographical  departments.  It  has  complete  charge 
of  the  mapping  of  the  country  and  of  the  maps  of  Germany  and 
other  countries. 

The  general  staff  officers  on  duty  with  the  troops  are  under  the 
orders  of  their  commanders,  but  special  work  may  be  assigned  to 
them  by  the  chief  of  staff. 

Before  the  present  war  the  general  staff  of  Germany  consisted  of 
1  general,  2  lieutenant  generals,  6  major  generals,  23  colonels,  21 
lieutenant  colonels,  116  majors,  139  captains,  and  1  lieutenant,  total 
309.  Additional  officers  performing  general  staff  duties  were :  Three 
colonels,  13  lieutenant  colonels,  44  majors,  36  captains,  and  132  lieu- 
tenants; total  attached  officers  228,  total  number  of  officers  perform- 
ing general  staff  duties  537. 

4.  THE  GENERAL  STAFF  OF  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

The  general  staff  at  the  war  office  has  the  following  duties:  To 
advise  on  the  strategical  distribution  of  the  army;  to  supervise  the 
education  of  the  officers  and  the  training  and  preparation  of  the 
army  for  war;  to  study  military  plans  for  offense  and  defense;  to 
collect  military  information,  and  to  direct  the  general  policy  in 
army  matters. 

The  general  staff  with  troops  has  the  following  duties:  To  assist 
the  officers  on  whose  staffs  they  serve  in  promoting  military  effi- 
ciency, and  to  aid  them  in  carrying  out  the  general  policy  in  army 
matters. 

The  general  staff  at  the  war  office,  known  as  department  of  chief 
of  general  staff  at  army  headquarters,  was  divided  into  three 
branches:  Military  operations,  staff  duties,  and  military  training. 
A  major  general  was  in  charge  of  each.  General  staff  officers  in  this 

514 


department :  Three  major  generals,  6  colonels,  21  lieutenant  colonels 
and  majors,  and  27  captains.  Total,  57. 

The  general  staff  officers  with  troops  were:  One  major  general,  6 
brigadier  generals,  16  colonels,  54  lieutenant  colonels  and  majors, 
12  captains,  and  25  brigade  majors.  Total,  114. 

Besides  the  171  general  staff  officers  other  officers  were  attached  to 
the  general  staff  to  perform  general-staff  duties. 

Great  Britain  was  short  of  officers,  and  the  general  staff  was  some- 
what depleted  at  the  beginning  of  the  present  war.  The  British 
press  has  attributed  grave  errors  of  the  war  to  this  lack  of  an  ade- 
quate general  staff.  Influential  Englishmen  are  advocating  a  gen- 
eral staff  on  the  German  plan. 

5.  THE  GENERAL  STAFF  OF  ITALY. 

The  latest  information  found  at  the  war  college  shows  the  chief 
of  the  general  staff  of  Italy  was  intrusted  with  the  preparation,  in 
time  of  peace,  and  execution,  in  time  of  war,  of  all  military  opera- 
tions, but  under  the  minister  of  war;  and  that  the  general  staff 
consisted  of  260  officers. 

The  war  department  general  staff,  called  the  great  general  staff, 
consisted  of  three  sections :  The  central  section,  the  section  for  mili- 
tary operations,  and  the  section  for  railways  and  communications. 
The  central  section  supervised  the  work  of  the  others.  The  section 
for  military  operations  was  divided  into  five  subsections,  and  the 
section  for  railways  and  communications  was  divided  into  three 
subsections. 

The  general  staff  officers  on  duty  with  troops  performed  duties 
that  are  performed  in  the  United  States  by  General  Staff  officers  and 
by  adjutants  general. 

6.  THE  GENERAL  STAFF  OF  JAPAN. 

The  general  staff  has  charge  of  the  national  defense  and  the  em- 
ployment of  the  military  forces  of  the  Empire.  The  chief  of  staff 
is  directly  under  the  Emperor  and  assists  in  the  business  of  the 
imperial  personal  staff.  All  things  relating  to  national  defense 
and  strategy  are  in  his  province.  Furthermore,  he  has  under  his 
supervision  all  staff  officers  of  the  army  and  their  training.  Directly 
under  his  jurisdiction  are:  (1)  General  staff  headquarters;  (2)  the 
land  survey  department;  (3)  the  army  staff  college;  and  (4)  the 
military  attaches  at  embassies  and  legations. 

A  vice  chief  of  staff  assists  the  chief  and  supervises  the  business 
of  general  staff  headquarters. 

514 


10 

The  subjects  dealt  with  by  the  general  staff  are : 

1.  Defense  of  the  Empire  and  plans  of  mobilization. 

2.  Statistics  of  foreign  armies. 

3.  Communications  and  transportation  of  troops. 

4.  Geodesy  and  topography. 

5.  Historical  work. 

The  work  of  the  war  department  general  staff,  designated  the 
great  general  staff,  is  performed  in  5  divisions  divided  into  10 
sections.  One  of  the  divisions  is  designated  "  general  affairs  " ;  the 
others  are  numbered  1,  2,  3,  and  4.  The  chief  of  staff  is  a  general ; 
the  vice  chief  of  staff,  a  lieutenant  general ;  the  chief  of  each  division 
is  a  major  general,  and  the  chief  of  each  section  is  a  colonel. 

The  general  staff  office  at  Tokyo  consists  of  1  general,  1  lieutenant 
general,  5  major  generals,  10  colonels,  8  lieutenant  colonels,  21 
majors,  and  33  captains.  Total,  79.  In  connection  with  these  are 
72  other  officers,  making  a  total  of  151  officers  performing  war  de- 
partment general  staff  duties  May  1,  1915.  They  were  assisted  by 
44  warrant  and  noncommissioned  officers  and  5  civilians.  Under  the 
chief  of  staff,  the  land  survey  department  consists  of  35  officers, 
161  warrant  and  noncommissioned  officers,  and  135  civilians;  the 
army  staff  college  consists  of  58  officers,  15  warrant  and  noncom- 
missioned officers,  and  14  civilians. 

The  exact  number  of  general  staff  officers  serving  with  troops  in 
the  Japanese  Army  is  not  stated  in  the  reports  received  at  the  War 
College.  It  is  understood  that  the  strength,  organization,  and  duties 
of  the  Japanese  general  staff  are  about  the  same  as  in  other  good, 
modern  armies.  The  organization  of  the  Japanese  general  staff  is 
not  fixed  by  law.  It  depends  on  the  orders  of  the  Emperor  and 
usually  changes  slightly  from  year  to  year. 

7.  THE  GENERAL  STAFF  OF  RUSSIA. 

The  latest  figures  on  this  organization,  found  at  the  War  College, 
show  the  general  staff  of  Russia  consisted  of  734  officers.  The 
general  staff  of  that  country  was  organized  on  modern  lines  in  1906. 
The  chief  of  the  general  staff  was  part  of  the  war  ministry.  In 
1914  the  headquarters  directorate  of  the  general  staff  consisted  of 
the  following  six  branches: 

The  quartermaster  general's  branch,  consisting  of  seven  sections; 
organization  and  administrative  branch,  seven  sections  and  two  sub- 
sections; mobilization  branch,  four  sections;  military  communica- 
tions branch,  eight  sections;  topographical  branch,  three  sections; 
aviation  branch,  two  sections. 

The  Russian  Army,  like  other  modern  armies,  has  general  staff 
officers  serving  writh  troops. 

514 


11 

8.  THE  GENERAL  STAFF  OF  SERBIA. 

In  Serbia  the  general  staff  is  included  in  the  ministry  of  war. 
Part  of  the  general  staff  officers  serve  with  troops,  as  in  the  United 
States.  The  chief  of  staff  and  the  assistant  chief  of  staff  had  head- 
quarters at  Belgrade.  The  general  staff  is  divided  into  three  sec- 
tions: (1)  The  operative  section,  divided  in  three  parts,  (a)  per- 
sonnel and  materiel  on  campaign,  (5)  intelligence,  (c)  communica- 
tions; (2)  historical  section,  including  (a)  archives,  (b)  library; 
(3)  geographical  section,  which  includes  four  subsections,  (a)  trigo- 
nometrical, (5)  topographical,  (c)  supplies,  (d)  mapping. 

II.  CONCLUSION. 

In  regard  to  our  own  General  Staff,  the  act  of  Congress  approved 
February  14,  1903,  creating  it  established  its  status  and  duties  on 
lines  entirely  in  accord  with  the  approved  practice  in  European 
armies,  and,  so  far  as  known,  the  experiences  of  the  present  war  have 
proved  the  soundness  of  this  action. 

Actual  experience,  however,  has  shown  conclusively  that  the  per- 
sonnel originally  provided  for  our  General  Staff  was  too  limited 
for  the  comprehensive  duties  required  of  it,  even  for  our  small  Army. 
A  further  bar  to  progress  was  imposed  by  the  act  of  Congress  ap- 
proved August  24,  1912,  whereby  the  already  meager  personnel  was 
reduced  by  one  general  officer  and  eight  captains.  Under  the  present 
law  it  consists  of  2  general  officers,  one  of  whom  is  Chief  of  Staff, 
4  colonels,  6  lieutenant  colonels,  12  majors,  and  12  captains  (or  first 
lieutenants) ;  total,  36.  In  addition,  the  Chief  of  Coast  Artillery 
and  the  Chief  of  the  Division  of  Militia  Affairs  are  also  members 
of  the  General  Staff,  ex  vffido.  The  permanent  station  of  these  latter 
officers  is  in  Washington,  but  the  specific  duties  for  which  their 
offices  were  created  to  perform  occupy  their  full  attention  and,  prop- 
erly speaking,  are  not  duties  pertaining  to  the  General  Staff  any 
more  than  are  those  of  the  Chief  of  Engineers,  Chief  Signal  Officer, 
or  other  bureau  chiefs.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  they  only  do  General 
Staff  work  when  temporarily  acting  for  the  Chief  of  Staff  and  his 
senior  assistant  during  the  absence  of  those  officers,  and  this  duty  is 
in  addition  to  their  normal  functions. 

At  the  present  time  the  War  Department  General  Staff  consists 
of  2  general  officers,  2  colonels,  5  lieutenant  colonels,  9  majors,  and 
11  captains,  total  29,  leaving  for  service  with  troops  2  colonels,  1 
lieutenant  colonel,  3  majors,  and  1  captain,  total  7. 

Because  of  this  insufficient  personnel  the  General  Staff  has  been 
unable  to  undertake  some  of  its  most  important  functions.  For  ex- 
ample, no  historical  section  can  be  established,  and  until  this  is  done 

514 


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